How To Save A Life
by cbiscuit221b
Summary: 'You know it's just a routine interview. Nothing to get anxious about.', Steve said leisurely, as they stepped up to the front porch. 'That guy is old, he's not even a suspect.' Danny whump with angsty Steve, Bromance and some mystery. For now a one shot.


_I had this spooking around in my head for a little while, so I finally decided to write it down. Perhaps it will stay a one shot, or it could turn into something bigger. I will have to see about the inspiration. :)_

_Oh, and English is not my mother tongue, so every mistake is mine._

_This is Steve and Danny Bromance, definitely not a slash fic and not a death fic. Plenty of Danny whump._

_Enjoy reading!_

It happened on a Thursday as normal as any other Hawaiian Thursday could be. The sun beat down mercilessly, the beaches were swarming with tourists and local people.

Surfers were out in the open water, catching wave after wave.

Small children squealed with delight at their parents dropping them up to their knees in the water only to scoop them up again just as quickly, when a new wave rolled in.

Something made this Thursday special though. Perhaps it was the live, that was saved. Or the fact, that the Five-0 team learned of something they never thought possible.

'Hey Danny.', Steve climbed out of the Camaro and closed the door behind him. He looked over to his partner, doing just the same. 'You got Grace this weekend?'

'You bet.', the Jersey Detective grinned wildly in anticipation of having his daughter over for a grand total of four days. 'Rachel and Stan are on a business trip to Los Angeles and won't be back until Monday evening.'

They proceeded to make their way up the driveway of a rather shabby looking old cottage near the beach. The house stood solitary far out of town, around it the forest was quiet.

'Four days, I'm impressed. I'm sure she will expect that one extra day back next week though.', Steve laughed as Danny made a face, that read all too clearly, that he was expecting something similar to happen.

His answer remained fierce though, as he underlined the words, waving his hands through the air and stopping midway up the driveway.

'That is not, I repeat not going to happen. I moved 5000 miles just to see her twice a week and I think that alone is reason enough that I deserve getting to spend an extra day with my daughter!'

He shot McGarrett a look. 'Can we for now please focus on the case? I like to be prepared.'

'Yes, you know it's just a routine interview. Nothing to get anxious about.', Steve said leisurely, as they stepped up to the front porch. 'That guy is old, he's not even a suspect.'

Knocking on the door, Steve called out: 'Five-0, Mr. Kahani. We have a few questions.'

Danny stepped forwards and peeked through the dirt stained glass on the door. At the end of the hallway he could make out a huddled figure, holding something long in their hands.

Something that was aimed directly toward the two Five-0 members.

'Gun!', Danny yelled at the same time shoving his partner to the left and out of harms way.

Steve couldn't believe what was happening. It was like he heard everything at once, completely unable to do anything about it.

The loud crack as the shotgun fired was like an explosion to him. The bullet shattered the glass and took half the door with it.

Then a thumping sound and the small, surprised cry resulting from it, were what would resound in Steve's head over and over again for a long time.

He looked up just in time to see his partner vanish out of his peripheral vision, stumbling a few steps and falling backwards off the porch onto the dirty ground.

Steve jumped up, weapon already in hand and inched closer to the front door. Peeking through it, he quickly but thoroughly made sure, that the threat was gone or if need be eliminated. The back door was wide open, the suspect had fled the scene. He called Danny's name, before he even turned around to get a good look at him.

'Danny, are you alright? Danno, answer me, partner!'

Holstering his gun, McGarrett quickly turned and jumped down the few steps, to kneel next to his friend.

Danny was on his back on the ground, arms sprawled out, he was fully awake.

Blood was pouring out of his abdomen and chest, like someone had opened a damned water hydrant.

He could clearly see the ragged edges of the entry wounds on his torso.

'Danno! Stay with me, man! Help is on the way!' Grabbing his cellphone, Steve quickly placed the emergency call.

_They were t__wenty minutes out, twenty minutes. Too damn long!_

Danny choked and writhed in agony on the blood-strewn ground. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get enough air into his lungs. It almost felt like the Sarin incident all over again, only this time the pain was so much worse. It felt like it was destroying him, swallowing him whole, he just wanted to scream, but his vocal chords wouldn't allow it. He opened his mouth only to close it again, like a dying fish.

'S.. Steve …', he rasped out on the second try, taking a wheezing breath, that threatened to tear his body apart. A whimper escaped his lips.

'Yes, Danny, I'm here! Danny, keep your eyes open! I'm gonna have to apply pressure on the wound, this is gonna hurt a bit.'

Steve had already torn off the button-down shirt he wore over his regular one and now scooped himself up, to press as hard as he could on the wound in his partners body.

'Aaaaaaaargh!', This time is vocal chords obeyed and a blood curdling scream tore from his throat, that nearly did him in. His eyes started drooping and the world grayed out along the edges of his vision.

He suddenly had to cough violently, unimaginable pain tearing through his chest and he felt his throat and the back of his mouth filling up with blood.

The metallic tang made him even more nauseated.

Another cough and a fine mist of red sprayed Steve's face and neck. Danny's head dropped back to the ground, his eyes at half mast.

'Stay awake, Danno!', Steven screamed over the roaring in his ears. 'Not much longer I promise! Think about Gracie! It's your weekend with her, you even got an extra day.', Steve tried to hide the panic in his own voice.

He has seen wounds like these before. On men, that were trained to endure much worse, than his partner was ever trained to. But if the body gave in, if the sustained wound was too much to handle, even training couldn't help you.

_Where is the goddamned ambulance, for fuck's sake?_, in silence he cursed every deity, that came to his mind.

'Grace..', the whisper was barely audible. Danny was calmer now, he didn't writhe anymore, drew only shallow breaths.

'Steve.. nnngghhh', he turned terrified eyes towards his friend, but couldn't finish, as another wave of pain assaulted his weak body. 'You gotta .. gotta take care of .. her. My little .. monkey. Tell h.. her, that Danno lo .. loves her.'

A silent tear escaped his eye and rolled down the side of his head. He sobbed as the full impact of what was happening hit him. He was dying. Right then, right there. And there was nothing anybody could do. Not even super SEAL or an ambulance, as much as he wanted to. He felt the blood in his mouth, he was drowning in his own blood. He coughed again weakly, letting it run over his lips and down his chin and throat.

'No, Danny, you tell her yourself. I won't let you die! She needs you, the team needs you! Hell, I need you!', Steve yelled down at him. 'You stay awake, Danno!'

The sirens of the ambulance were heard in the distance.

_It's too late. It's definitely too late. Nothing can save him now._, the brutal truth of that thought downright shattered Steve's heart. Danny was quiet now, barely breathing, but stubbornly clinging to consciousness in the last moments of his live.

Out of the blue, a young woman knelt opposite of Steve, shoving him away from his partner with such unexpected force, that he sailed ten feet through the air.

He crashed with a thump on his back and lay for a few seconds in utter shock and disbelief.

As he scrambled to his feet, weapon drawn and aimed, there was no one to be seen, other than his partners still form on the ground. He sprinted back and dropped down next to him.

'Danny! Danny, no please don't do this to me.', a sob escaped his lips. His eyes were closed and he lay deathly still.

Danny's eyes flew open and he took in a huge gulp of air, struggling to get upright in the same second.

He breathed hard, his chest heaving with effort, as he turned toward McGarrett.

'What was that?', he pressed out in between two breaths. Steve couldn't even say anything. He could neither believe what had just happened, nor grasp the sense behind any of it. Two minutes ago his partner was dying of a shotgun blast right then and there and now he seems perfectly alright.

'Steve, what was that?', Danny demanded more loudly this time. His breath evened out and he attempted to stand up.

'You .. your wound. What is with your wound?', stuttering like a seven year-old, who held his first presentation in front of the class, Steve was dumbfounded as he stood in front of his partner.

He ripped open Danny's bloodied button-down shirt and discovered nothing. His torso was perfectly fine, not a single scratch. Nothing that would remind him of the horrors of the past seven minutes.

'Hey!', Danny protested and tried to wiggle out of Steve's grasp, as his shirt was torn open.

'It's not like you were going to wear again.', he waved it off. Danny looked curiously down at his abdomen and chest, then back up.

'Steven.', he exclaimed calmly. 'I am asking you one more time. What did just happen? Was that some sort of super SEAL healing potion or supernatural healing technique of yours? Please. Do tell.', he gestured wildly, but that couldn't distract his partner from the fear and terror in his eyes.

Steve looked at him worriedly, stemming his hands on his hips, then gazed nervously left and right. 'I have no idea what just happened. I swear, one moment you were slipping away. The next I get flung ten feet through the air and just as I get back, you sit up and talk to me, like nothing happened. You were dying on me, man!', he yelled the last part. His legs were shaking now from the adrenaline drop.

'Okay, okay. I get it.'

Finally the ambulance arrived on scene. Two EMTs jumped out the back and rushed towards them.

'It's nothing.' Danny said. 'It's .. it's not my blood. The suspect. Uhm, he fled the scene.'

Steve joined in: 'Sorry guys, false alarm. I wish I could have called you off sooner. We better get back to HQ now.', he said, giving his partner a look.

They turned around and left the paramedics standing in front of the house just as dumbfounded as Steve had been minutes ago.


End file.
